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"I won’t say a word"

In the kitchen, Mab hadof tea She was back to her usual self, acknowledging us with a brisk nod and suggesting we get down to business at once I poured coffee for Kane and refilled , and we sat around the table

That’s when I noticed the glove lying on the tabletop Crafted froe love was brown and looked soft fro cuff was decorated with undulating patterns eold and silver thread--swirls and runes and sylove you took froauntlet, yes I thought it would be a good idea if Evan were to join us for this discussion After all, the situation concerns hiauntlet and fitted it onto her right hand The fingers looked big and clumsy, and the cuff nearly reached her elbow

She stood, holding her right arht before her In a loud, clear voice, she said, "Hebog, tyrd!"

The words meant Falcon, come! in Welsh

She repeated the phrase twice e in the air, an electric charge I took a breath; it was like inhaling lightning, a sharp, tingly feeling in , holding her arht The buzzing pressure grew

A shape slaered back a step as the blur hit her arauntlet The bird’s head turned, taking in the roos "Hi, Vic" Dad greeted Mab, too Although he stared at Kane, he didn’t speak to hiood to see you, but I’ot here"

"Weird, yes," said Mab "Al spoken to by a falcon in the voice of irl" He chuckled "You should’ve seen your face"

"Weirdness aside, what happened, just nohen I called you here?"

The falcon tilted his head "Do you remember those old science fiction fil pulled into a tractor beam, like you sometimes see in those However hard I strained, whichever way I tried to fly, it sucked auntlet to call you Can you leave it?"

Dad didn’t runted and twisted, but he stayed where he was "Nope My talons won’t let go"

"The white falcon is bound to this gauntlet unless I release hilove and perched on the back of a chair He shook hi Mab sat in her own seat, then turned to Kane and et possession of it"

Dad stopped preening "The Night Hag? She knows about it?"

"She saith it last night" Mab took off the glove and laid it flat on the table, her fingers s the leather "Were you aware of it, Evan? Before I used it to call you, I ot a flash of recognition when you called There’s aalauntlet?"

"In the very distant past It was a gift from Lord Arawn"

That surprised me "Really?" I’d iving type He’d loanedour brief acquaintance, the et out of his kingdoht the gauntlet with ht the falcon into our world from the Darklands" She turned to Dad "What she didn’t tell me, Evan, was that you had co at the table Kane, his hand still on ave a squeeze

"Vic, it would have been okay--" Dad began

"Victory has not been entirely forthco you, I’ here now, to lay our cards on the table, as it were, so that everyone involved fully understands the situation"

Dad cocked his head at otten used to the falcon’s constant sharp-eyed, aled, no ut I ignored the feeling Tiaround this table, loved the ever happened to any of themBut they didn’t want my protection They wanted my trust I took a deep breath

"Dad, when I was in the Darklands, Kane followedme home"

The falcon’s head swiveled to Kane His stare lasted a full et in?"

"The same way I did," I answered "He made a deal with Mallt-y-Nos"

"She’s well known to olves," Kane put in "One of her titles is Mistress of Hounds But nor?"